Kansas college grants are run by the Kansas Board of Regents, and the three to know are the Kansas Comprehensive Grant (need-based aid at Kansas public universities, Washburn and private colleges), the Kansas Promise Act Scholarship (a last-dollar scholarship for high-demand two-year programs, with a live-and-work-in-Kansas obligation), and the Kansas State Scholarship (need-based aid for designated State Scholars). The Comprehensive Grant needs only the FAFSA; the other two also need the Regents’ own online application.
Kansas Comprehensive Grant
The Board of Regents describes the Kansas Comprehensive Grant as need-based aid for Kansas residents enrolled full time at eighteen private colleges and universities in Kansas, the six state universities and Washburn University (Kansas Board of Regents, Scholarships and Grants). Its scholarships page, read in November 2026, lists award ranges without naming an award year:
| Where you enroll | Range listed by the Regents |
|---|---|
| Kansas private colleges and universities | $200 to $10,000 |
| Kansas public universities and Washburn | $100 to $4,000 |
“There is not an application for this grant,” the Regents say. You complete the FAFSA and list one or more eligible Kansas colleges. The college packages the grant into your aid offer. The Regents do not post a statewide deadline for it, so meet each college’s FAFSA priority date; our FAFSA deadlines guide explains why that is usually the date that matters.
Kansas Promise Act Scholarship
The Regents’ 2026-2027 information sheet says the Promise Act Scholarship helps students “enrolled to receive an associates degree or certificate in specified high wage, high demand, or critical need occupations in Kansas” at community and technical colleges, Washburn Institute of Technology and certain private institutions (Kansas Board of Regents, Kansas Promise Act Scholarship 2026-2027).
What Promise pays
Promise is “a last dollar scholarship”: it pays tuition, required fees, books and materials minus all other grants and scholarships. The lifetime cap is 68 credit hours funded or $20,000 per student, whichever comes first. Your college sets your amount from the program’s cost, your FAFSA and your other aid.
The listed fields are information technology and security; mental and physical health care; advanced manufacturing and building trades; and early childhood education and development. Each institution may add one more eligible field from a short list that includes agriculture, education and law and public safety.
Who qualifies for Promise
New applicants must be US citizens and Kansas residents, and meet an income limit: household income of $100,000 or less for a family of one or two, $150,000 or less for three, and $150,000 plus $4,800 for each additional member above three. They must also meet one of several paths, including graduating from a Kansas high school or earning a Kansas GED within the past 12 months, or being a Kansas resident for the preceding three consecutive years.
The service obligation
Promise is not a no-strings grant. You sign a promissory note agreeing to finish your program within 36 months of your first award and then live and work in Kansas for two consecutive years, starting within six months of completion. If you do not, you repay the scholarship plus 5% interest. Continuing your education in Kansas at six or more hours a semester defers the obligation, and entering military service fulfills it.
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Promise deadlines for 2026-27
| Term | Application deadline |
|---|---|
| Summer 2026 | July 1, 2026 |
| Fall 2026 | October 1, 2026 |
| Spring 2027 | March 1, 2027 |
Awards are first come, first served, and “the application could close before the advertised deadlines” if money runs out. Apply early at sfa.kansasregents.gov, file the FAFSA, and renew each year.
Kansas State Scholarship
The Kansas State Scholarship is for seniors designated as Kansas State Scholars, based on an index combining ACT composite score and seventh-semester GPA, after completing the Kansas Scholars Curriculum (Kansas Board of Regents, Kansas State Scholarship 2026-27). To be in the pool you take the ACT by December of senior year and your counselor reports your curriculum, typically February through April.
The Regents say designated Scholars “may receive up to $1,000 annually ($500/semester) based on financial need” and state funds, renewable for four undergraduate years (five in a designated five-year program). You must enroll in at least 12 credit hours a semester and keep a 3.0 cumulative GPA. The application deadline is July 1, and you must file both the FAFSA and the State of Kansas Student Aid Application every year.
How to apply
- File the 2027-28 FAFSA and list every Kansas college you are considering. Our guide on how to fill out the FAFSA covers each section.
- For Promise or the State Scholarship, also apply at sfa.kansasregents.gov.
- Meet each college’s priority date for the Comprehensive Grant.
- Renew every year; none of these awards carry over automatically.
How Kansas aid fits with federal aid
Promise is calculated after other gift aid, including the Federal Pell Grant. For award years beginning on or after July 1, 2026, a student whose non-federal aid equals or exceeds the cost of attendance is not eligible for Pell, according to a June 4, 2026 Federal Student Aid electronic announcement. Cost of attendance includes housing and food, so most Kansas recipients are unaffected.
Questions Kansas families ask
Does the Comprehensive Grant cover part-time students?
The Regents describe it as for students enrolled full time.
Who answers Promise questions?
The Regents list [email protected] and (785) 430-4300.
Is the Promise Act Scholarship a loan?
It starts as a scholarship, but you sign a promissory note. If you do not finish within 36 months or do not live and work in Kansas for two years afterward, it turns into a debt with 5% interest. Read the agreement before you sign.
Where to go next
Compare Kansas with other states in our guide to state grants for college, and use our free scholarship finder for awards that stack on top. For spring 2027 Promise funding, the application deadline is March 1, 2027, if money lasts that long.